Katie stayed on for a short while, after Margaret had gone to the stage, to talk to Liza. She did not know Liza well but she enjoyed talking to her and today she had something to find out.

‘Liza, what does a police whistle look like?’

Liza was caught off balance for she had been talking about something quite different. ‘A police whistle? Why?’

Katie had to giggle. ‘Because I think Miss Grey is wearing one.’

Katie expected Liza to roar with laughter for the very idea was funny, but instead she hesitated. She knew Katie had not been told what was feared; how was she to explain a police whistle? Then she had an idea.

‘Lots of ladies wear them,’ she said, ‘same as lots wouldn’t get into bed without they sees if there’s a burglar under it. Single ladies like Miss Grey, they ’as to be careful on account they have no ’usband to look after them.’

‘Well, Miss Grey has only just taken to wearing one and I think it’s odd.’

Liza felt on firm ground. ‘I don’t. There’s terrible types about the streets these days. And if you don’t hurry up them stairs she’ll be blowing her whistle for you.’

When the girls’ lessons began again Miss Grey started them studying The Tempest.

‘Why The Tempest?’ Katie asked. ‘You said we’d do As You Like It this term.’

‘Nothing is decided,’ Miss Grey explained, ‘but when The Little Queen comes off there is just a chance your father might produce The Tempest. He wishes to play Prospero.’

Margaret’s heart sank. Shakespeare! What in her innermost heart she called ‘that awful Shakespeare’. However, she did not say anything for it would sound – what indeed it was – a groan because she would be out of work.

‘Is there a child in it?’ she asked without much hope.

‘It depends on how Papa plays it,’ Katie explained. ‘There is Ariel. Papa has said it should be played by a child but I think he thinks it should be a boy.’

‘I like being a boy,’ said Margaret. ‘I loved being Little Lord Fauntleroy.’

Miss Grey realized Margaret had never even read the play and decided nothing would be gained by discussing her chances.

‘Ariel is a spirit, neither child nor adult, neither boy nor girl.’

‘And you would have to sing,’ said Katie, and crooned, ‘Full fathom five thy father lies’.

Miss Grey stopped her. ‘No singing now, Katie. We’re going to do sums.’

That evening, walking home with Sarah, Margaret told her what Miss Grey had said about The Tempest. Sarah, too, had heard gossip.

‘I think it’s only talk at present, dear, and nothing may come of it, but they do say Sir John hasn’t a new play he wants to do and, when he finds what he wants he’d like to find one with a part for you, seeing he found you in the first place. You were very nicely wrote about in the papers. So he discovered you, as it were.’